Cinnamon Crumpets

(Note: For plain crumpets, leave out the cinnamon)

Ingredients:

• 250ml (1 cup) cake flour (140g)
• 10ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
• 1ml (1/5 teaspoon) salt
• 30ml (6 teaspoons) sugar
• 1 egg
• 200ml (4/5 cup) milk
• 15ml (3 teaspoons) margarine, melted
• 5ml (1 teaspoon) cinnamon (optional)

Method:

1. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.  Add sugar.
2. Beat the egg, milk and melted margarine together and add to dry ingredients.
3. Beat until smooth and leave to stand for 30 minutes
4. Fry spoonful's of batter on a hot greased griddle or frying pan.
5. Fry until golden brown, turning when bubbles appear on the surface.
6. Serve with butter, jam or honey.  (also nice with peanut butter and syrup!)

Carrot Salad

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot per person
• 10ml orange or pineapple juice per person
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar per person
• 1 teaspoon crushed pineapple per person (optional)

Method

1. Grate the carrots into a bowl
2. Mix in other ingredients thoroughly
3. Chill for an hour then serve

Spaghetti With Tuna

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients:

• 250g spaghetti (8.8 ounce)
• 25ml (1 tablespoon) Margarine
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 125g mushrooms (4.4 ounce)
• 1 clove garlic (or teaspoon garlic flakes) – peeled and crushed
• 75ml water (0.3 cups)
• 1 x 410g can tomatoes, chopped with juice (15.8 ounce)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 x 185g tins tuna, drained and flaked (2 x 6.5 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Method:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook spaghetti until tender, (approx. 15 minutes)
2. Melt Margarine and sauté onions
3. Add mushrooms, garlic, water, tomatoes and juice and cook fast for 10 minutes to reduce the liquid.
4. Season and add fish, cook for 5 minutes.
5. Drain spaghetti and transfer to heated serving dish
6. Spoon the fish sauce over spaghetti and serve.

Cooking Hints and Tips

A few things I learned this week:

• If you find a recipe with anchovies in it, but don’t like anchovies, you can swap them for sardines and vice versa in most cases.
• Crushed Cream Crackers can replace breadcrumbs in a recipe.
• Got lots of leftovers bits and pieces of fresh foods?  Stir-fry it in a wok and serve on cooked rice with salt and pepper.
• Minced/Ground beef can be replaced with vegetarian mince in any recipe, and vice versa.
• Tomato Soup can be switched for Cream of Mushroom Soup in most recipe’s to vary the flavour a bit (and vice versa).
• Marinate meat the night before use (and store in a fridge) to allow it to fully absorb the flavour.

Grocery Cupboard and Fridge Basics

Today I was reading a magazine which listed a couple of basic items that should be in your grocery cupboard.  I noticed a few differences on that list compared to mine, so I thought I would share my list with you.  With these items you will be able to make at least 3 decent dinner meals from scratch…

Freezer:

• Frozen vegetable mix
• Frozen stir-fry mix
• Minced / Ground beef
• Chicken Fillets
• Fish Fillets

Refrigerator:

• Milk
• Cheddar Cheese
• Eggs
• Bread
• Margarine / butter
• Tomato Sauce
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Fresh Baby Potatoes (they last a week or two in a fridge)
• Fresh Carrots (also last a week or two in a fridge)
• Lemon Juice
• Peach Chutney

Dried Herbs and Spices:

• Italian Herbs
• Thyme
• Sweet Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Garlic Flakes
• Mild Curry Powder

Pantry:

• Can Shredded Tuna
• Can Tomato and Onion Mix
• Can Peach Slices
• Spaghetti
• Ramen Noodles (two-minute noodles)
• Macaroni
• White Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Powder
• 1 Box long life milk (for emergencies)
• Peanut Butter
• Bovril
• Honey / Syrup
• Custard Powder
• Jelly Powder
• Can Condensed Milk

And with these items I can make the following meals:

• Stir-Fry with Chicken Strips
• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Star-Studded Hake with vegetables
• Egg and Cheese Toast (Breakfast / Light Meal)
• Cheesy French Toast (Breakfast / Light Meal)
• Cheese Puffs (Breakfast / Tea-time treat)

Breakfast Scones

Makes:  about 8 (depending on size)

Ingredients:

• 1000ml (4 cups) cake flour
• 2ml (half teaspoon) salt
• 30ml (3 heaped teaspoons) baking powder
• 80ml (4 tablespoons) margarine or butter
• 1 egg
• 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk
• 125ml (half cup) water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 240ºC (460ºF)
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. Rub in the margarine, handling as quickly and lightly as possible.
4. In a separate bowl beat egg together with buttermilk and water.
5. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients about half a cup at a time, mixing with hands or a wooden spoon. 
6. Do step 5 until all the liquid has been added or until a medium to firm dough is formed. 
7. If the dough becomes sticky then add flour until it is neither crumbling or sticking to your fingers.
8. Pat or roll (with a rolling pin) the dough on a floured surface and cut scones 3cm thick.  I use a drinking glass coated with flour instead of a cookie cutter.
9. Place on a greased baking sheet some distance apart (the scones rise) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
10. Take out of oven and allow to cool enough so they can be handled with your hands.
11. Cut in half, spread with butter and serve with jam and whipped cream or grated cheese.

Egg and Cheese Toast

I made these for breakfast some time back. It is really nice, much like a fried egg on toast, but without all the grease from the oil.

Ingredients (this is per person):

• 1 slice of bread

• 15ml Margarine/butter (1 tablespoon)

• 1 egg (separate yoke from white)

• salt to taste

• 25ml cheddar cheese (grated) (about 2 tablespoons)

• Parsley and paprika (optional)

Method:

1. Toast the bread lightly

2. Spread the bread with margarine (or butter)

3. Beat the egg white until stiff

4. Spoon the egg white over the bread, sprinkle with salt and hollow the center of the egg white (like a little valley!).

5. Place the egg yolk in the center/hole and spread the remaining white over the yolk.

6. Sprinkle with cheese.

7. Place the bread under the top element of the oven and toast until brown and the egg yolk is cooked.

8. Garnish with parsley and paprika.

Cheesy French Toast

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bread
• 25ml cheese (grated)
• 2 eggs
• 200ml milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 125ml Margarine (for frying)

Method:

1. Place cheese on 2 slices of bread, sandwich with the other 2 slices.
2. Beat eggs. milk, salt and pepper together.
3. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture.
4. Melt margarine and fry slowly on both sides until bread is golden.
5. Serve hot!

Chocolate Peppermint-Crisp Fudge

Makes: 20cm x 20cm x 1.5cm slab

Ingredients:

• 375ml (1.5 cups) sugar
• 150ml (0.6 cups) evaporated milk
• 30ml (2 tablespoons) butter
• 500ml (2 cups) marshmallows cut into smaller pieces
• 300g (roughly 3 slabs) dark chocolate
• 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence
• 1 bar Peppermint Crisp (broken or grated into pieces)

Method:

1. Line a 20cm x 20cm (7.8 inch) tin with foil.
2. Heat the sugar, evaporated milk and butter together in a saucepan / pot
3. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
4. Boil for four to five minutes then remove from the heat.
5. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate and vanilla essence until melted.
6. Pour into the lined tin and sprinkle the peppermint crisp over the top.
7. Leave to set in the fridge for 24 hours.
8. Remove from tin and peel off the foil.
9. Use a sharp knife to cut into blocks of the desired size.

Creamy Vanilla Fudge

Makes:  20cm x 20cm x 1.3cm

Ingredients:

• 470ml (1.9 cups) sugar
• 150ml (0.6 cups) evaporated milk
• 65ml (3 tablespoons) butter or margarine
• 25ml (1.5 tablespoons) golden syrup
• 1 can condensed milk
• 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence

Method:

1. Heat the sugar, evaporated milk and butter together in a saucepan.
2. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add syrup and condensed milk.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage.  (Drop a small ball of the mixture into a bowl of cold water.  The mixture should form a soft ball when you roll it between your fingers.)  Stir continuously.
5. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly (1-2 minutes).
6. Stir in the vanilla essence and then beat with a wooden spoon until the fudge begins to form crystals and to thicken (basically – stir until you get to the point that you wouldn’t be able to pour it out the pot if you stir anymore)
7. Pour into a greased square tin (20cm by 20cm or 7.8 inches by 7.8 inches) and leave to set.
8. Once almost set, turn out onto a work surface and cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Note from the cook:

Mine turned out tasting like a mixture of toffee and fudge.  I believe that is how it is supposed to taste because everybody who sampled it says it was the best fudge they have ever tasted.

Brown or White Bread

For this recipe you can use brown bread flour or white bread flour.  The images are of brown bread.

INGREDIENTS:

• 7 cups (1kg) bread flour (brown or white)
• 10ml salt
• 10ml sugar
• 10g (1 sachet) instant dry yeast
• 20ml (1 tablespoon) Margarine
• 650ml (2.4 cups) lukewarm water

The ingredients

METHOD:

The bread dough after step 3

1. Sift flour, salt and sugar together.  Add dry yeast and mix.
2. Rub margarine into dry ingredients and gradually add lukewarm water to mix to a soft dough.  Add more water if needed.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed the dough vigorously for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
5. Knock down the dough and divide into two.
6. Place each portion in a greased 23cm loaf tin, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and leave to rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, until double in size.
7. Brush top with water and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC (400ºF) for 35 minutes.

Total time: Approximately 2 hours.

Quantity: 2 loaves

Chocolate Oil Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• 250ml sugar (1 cup)
• 375ml cake flower (1 & a half cups)
• 50ml cocoa powder (2 heaped tablespoons)
• 15ml baking powder (3 teaspoons)
• 2ml salt (half a teaspoon)
• 125ml boiling water (half cup)
• 125ml cooking oil (half cup)

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF)
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Sift dry ingredients and gently fold into mixture, with water and oil.
4. Turn into two lined, greased 20cm cake tims and bake for 20-25 minutes
5. Leave for 5-10 minutes in tins before turning out onto a wire rack to continue cooling

ICING:

INGREDIENTS:

• 125g margarine (half cup)
• 375ml icing sugar (1 & a half cups)
• 30ml cocoa powder (2 tablespoons - not heaped)
• 5ml vanilla essence (1 teaspoon)

METHOD:

1. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy
2. Decorate the cake.  I also used caramel and peppermint crisp (hand grated) to decorate.

Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate soda)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons melted margarine
• 3 tablespoons golden or maple syrup
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (the yellow skin part of the lemon)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF)
2. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or margarine
3. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, syrup and eggs.
5. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, mix until combined.
6. Fold in carrots and lemon zest.
7. Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
8. Bake 20min or until golden brown.
9. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
10. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely before serving.  The muffins continue to cook for a while after leaving the oven.

Recipe: Broccoli Mashed Potatoes

This is another recipe I received on the Yahoo Group: Frugal Friends in the Kitchen

Originally it was meant to be a vegetarian dish, or a side dish to be served with meat.  I tweaked it to make it into a 1 dish meal by added bacon… here is my version of the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 potatoes
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 2.5 cups broccoli florets
• 200g (about 1.5 cups) bacon, chopped into roughly square pieces and fried.
• Salt, Pepper, Parsley to taste

Method:

1. Place potatoes in a pan, add water to cover and bring to boil (covered).  Boil for about 45min or until soft.
2. In another pot add broccoli and onion, cover with water and bring to boil (covered).  Boil for about 15-20 minutes, or until broccoli and onion are tender.
3. Drain water off the potatoes and vegetables.
4. Mash the potatoes in a bowl, leaving the skins (I chop them up roughly with a knife to make mashing easier)
5. Mix Cream cheese, Margarine, Salt, Pepper and Parsley into the mashed potatoes.
6. Fold in the broccoli, onions and bacon.

Serves 2

Cooking time roughly 1 hour

Recipe: Mashed Potato and Chicken Casserole

I got the following recipe from a Yahoo Group called Frugal Friends in the Kitchen, one of the members posted it there.  She got it from a lady in another group called Mary's Recipe Exchange.  We have no idea where this recipe originated, but here I am sharing it with you. 

I did make a few tweaks to the original recipe though…

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (My Tweak, I cooked 2 chicken fillets, cubed, in a frying pan)
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup (My Tweak, I made 1 packet of mushroom soup powder, making it as the instructions on the packet directed)
1 10 oz. package frozen baby carrots (My Tweak, I used 4 medium/large fresh carrots)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups prepared, instant mashed potatoes (My Tweak, I made homemade Mashed potato from real potatoes … 4 medium sized potatoes work well)
Salt, pepper and parsley to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
2. In a large pot, combine chicken and soup.
3. Simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add carrots, peas, parsley, salt and pepper.
5. Heat thoroughly for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Spoon mixture into a casserole dish.
7. Evenly top with cheddar cheese and spoon mashed potatoes on top.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is bubbly and potatoes are lightly browned.

Serves 4

Approx. 1h to make

Ashleigh’s hot chocolate

Tonight I invented my own Hot Chocolate recipe… it was delicious!

So here are the ingredients:

• 500ml water (2 cups) boiling water
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

And here is how you make it:

1. Put all the ingredients on a pot on the stove.
2. Heat to just before boiling point stirring continuously.
3. Pour into mugs.

Serves 2

Recipe: Crumbed Mushrooms

 

So here is the recipe for my crumbed mushrooms:

Ingredients:

• Button or brown mushrooms (quantity of your choice, amounts below are for 3 cups of button mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic
• breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Clean mushrooms well
2. Place in a bag with flour and shake well to cover mushrooms
3. Beat egg and add garlic
4. Add mushrooms to egg.
5. Place mushrooms in a bag with breadcrumbs and shake well.
6. Place on a tray and leave for 30minutes
7. Deep fry until golden brown
8. Serve immediately

Recipe: Chicken and Pumpkin Curry

I’m sorry that I didn’t take a photograph of this dish, but here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 50ml Rama (2 tablespoons)
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 10ml garlic, finely chopped (2 teaspoons or one clove)
• 10ml ginger, finely chopped (2 teaspoons)
• 25ml curry powder (1 heaped tablespoon)
• 1 chicken, cut into portions (or 4-6 chicken fillets)
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 750ml pumpkin, peeled and cubed (3 cups… but I used 5-6 cups)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 25ml coriander leaves (optional – I left it out on the night I made this)

Method:

(HINT: Chop and cut everything you need before you start.  You won’t have time to cut the chicken pieces and tomato while the onions fry since you have to keep them moving!)

1. Heat the Rama and fry onions, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes
2. Add curry powder and fry for 1 minute
3. Add chicken pieces, tomatoes, pumpkin, salt and pepper
4. Stir well with a metal spoon
5. Cover pan and cook slowly for 30 minutes
6. Stir in coriander leaves and serve on rice.

Recipe: Apricot Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients:

• 250ml flour (1 cup)
• 5ml baking powder (1 teaspoon)
• 125ml castor sugar (1/2 cup)
• 2 eggs beaten
• 150ml Rama, melted (bit more than 1/2 a cup)
• 1 can apricot halves, drained
• 5ml ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
• Apricot jam to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF)
2. Grease a 20cm round cake tin (7.8inch – just find the closes size doesn’t need to be exact)
3. Sift together flour and baking powder then add sugar
4. Add eggs and melted Rama to dry ingredients and beat well
5. Pour into cake tin
6. Place apricots, cut side up, on top of the mixture
7. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Glaze with warm jam.

Shell Noodle Salad

This recipe came from my cousin, Cindy, and is a dish that is made every Christmas.  It is necessary to make it the night before you are planning to serve so that the noodles draw in the flavour overnight.
Ingredients:

• 2 cups shell noodles
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

1. Cook the shell noodles
2. Mix all ingredients together and leave in fridge overnight.
3. Mix again before serving

Potato Bake

Cooking in my oven today is a potato bake.  This is going to be taken to a Bring ‘n Braai at my good friend’s house tonight.  She just moved into a new place and this is the first time she is hosting anything for friends.  So I am taking around this dish to help out, it is a Bring ‘n Braai after all.
Ingredients:

• 5 large potatoes, boiled in their jackets until nearly cooked (increase the number of potatoes if the potatoes are small)
• 250ml ( 1 cup ) cream
• 250ml ( 1 cup ) milk
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 packet of white onion soup
• 250ml ( 1 cup ) grated cheese (cheddar works the best)

Instructions:

1. Peel the potatoes and slice into an ovenproof dish
2. Mix remaining ingredients together, except the cheese
3. Pour over potatoes and sprinkle with cheese
4. Bake at 180C for about 1 hour – the cream will have set and potato bake will be golden brown.

Serve with meat cooked on an outside grill and salads OR with a roast chicken and vegetables.

Star Studded Hake

You need:

• Hake fillets (or other fish fillets common to your area)
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard (in a bottle - like you put on hot dogs)
• Salt and Pepper
• Grated Cheddar Cheese

The quantities vary upon how many people you are cooking for and the size of the hake fillets, so just read the method below to get an idea of the quantities you will need:

1) Grease a Baking tray and preheat the oven to 180ºC (360ºF)
2) Put Hake fillets on the baking tray

3) Sprinkle Hake fillets with salt and pepper (amounts at your preference)

4) Spread mayonnaise and mustard over the hake fillet (like you would make a peanut-butter sandwich)

5) Sprinkle grated cheese over hake

6) Bake in the oven for 30 minutes

I served this meal with steamed baby potatoes, carrots and peas.

Cosmopolitan Cocktail and Cosmopolitan Mocktail

This is a drink recipe for those who are not opposed to alcohol in small quantities.  This is an absolutely delicious and light drink.  You can increase or decrease the alcohol amounts according to your tolerance level, but this quantity works well if you are only drinking one during the course of the evening.
Mark and I made these a week ago instead of going out.  The total price to buy the ingredients (enough to make about 16 of these drinks) was R225-00, where buying 1 of these drinks at a cocktail lounge is about R35-00 - so I'm saving about R20-00 a drink by making them at home.  Naturally we didn’t make all 16 in one night, and still have a lot of the ingredients left over for another time! (so when am I getting visitors?)

For a virgin drink (safe for children):
Replace the Vodka and Triple Sec with Sprite or Lemon Water. 

Ingredients:

• Vodka
• Cranberry / Cherry / Wild Berry Juice (cranberry is the best, but others work alright too)
• Lime juice
• Triple Sec
• Cherries
• Ice to chill

Method:

1. Mix 1 part Vodka to 3 parts cranberry juice in a shaker. (or 1/4 cup vodka, 3/4 cup cranberry juice)
2. Add Ice, a tablespoon of lime juice, a tablespoon of Triple Sec and shake well.
3. Pour out into glasses (strain out ice), add a cherry and an umbrella!

 The meal I served with it will be coming out on my blog at a later date!

Macaroni Cheese

This is a really easy recipe and because it serves so few people it is easy to double or triple the recipe to serve as many as you need it to serve.  I’ve been using this recipe for Macaroni and Cheese since I moved out of my parents house and I have never needed to try another one.

Serves 2 – 3 people my size.
Ingredients:

• 250ml (1 cup) macaroni (uncooked)
• 1ml salt (1/5th teaspoon)
• 25ml Margarine (2 tablespoons)
• 25ml flour (2 tablespoons)
• 250ml Milk (1 cup)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 250ml grated cheddar cheese (1 cup)
• 1 tomato, sliced

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (360­°F). Grease an ovenproof dish
2. Cook macaroni in fast boiling, salt water until tender and drain in a colander (approx. 15 minutes).
3. Place Margarine, flour, milk, salt and pepper into a microwavable container (a glass measuring jug works well) and cook for a minute on high. Stir and cook again. Repeat until the mixture is thick but still runny.
4. Mix half the grated cheese into the milk mixture.
5. Mix macaroni and cheese sauce, pour into a greased ovenproof dish.
6. Place sliced tomato on top and sprinkle grated cheese over tomato.
7. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Brown under the top element for 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Pancakes (South African Style)

Makes: 12 – 20 (depends on the size of your frying pan)
Ingredients:

• 4 eggs (beaten)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons margarine (melted)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl
2. Add the wet ingredients and mix together until lump free. Leave to stand for 20-30 minutes.
3. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat. Use a non-stick spray if needed, or heat a little oil in the pan and pour it out between pancakes.
4. Pour enough batter so that there is a thin layer (1mm – 2mm thick) of batter over the bottom of the pan.  These pancakes won’t rise like the American style pancakes.
5. Leave batter in pan until air bubbles start to form.  Then use an egg-lifter to turn the pancake over.  If the pan is properly coated with non-stick spray or oil and the pancake is ready to turn this should be easy.  Sometimes it will take 1 or 2 attempts to grow accustomed to when to turn the pancake.
6. Once turned, leave the pancake to cook on the other side. Once the second side is ready there should be some brown spots on the second side of the pancake. Once cooked the pancake should still be soft and easy to roll up (like one would roll a newspaper).
7. For savoury pancakes, turn the pancake onto a plate and put cooked minced  meat(with tomato and onion sauce) in the middle, sprinkle with cheese. You can use Chicken and Mayonnaise. Have fun experimenting with different fillings.
8. For classic South African sweet pancakes, mix cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl and sprinkle over the whole pancake.  A dash of lemon juice can also be added if wished (some people like it, others don’t).
9. Roll the pancake like a newspaper and serve.  Some shops serve the pancakes with a spoon of cream or ice-cream. Below are the rolled versions of the Minced Meat pancake and the Sweet Cinnamon pancake.

The batter can be stored in a fridge overnight.  I have also heard it can be frozen, but I have never tried this.

The sweet pancakes are so cheap and easy to make, they are often sold at church/charity/school fund-raising events here in South Africa.  4 outdoor gas stoves, 4 pans, and 2 cooks can make a lot of pancakes quickly.  Wrap them up in grease proof paper for eating with ones hands while walking around a flea-market.  They are normally sold for R3,50 (US$0.50) each over here in South Africa.

Easy Savoury Tart

This is a really easy savoury tart.  So easy that it comes out a recipe book for children! Yet again it is a basic recipe and you can feel free to experiment adding and removing ingredients according to your taste buds!
Ingredients:

• 3 slices white bread, cut into cubes
• 50ml Margarine
• 500ml milk
• 500ml cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 x 190g tin corned beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 eggs, beaten

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm pie dish.
2. Put bread cubes, margarine and milk in a pan, then bring to the boil.
3. Remove pan from heat and add cheese, corned beef, onion, salt and pepper and mustard powder.
4. Mix well, then add beaten eggs and mix again.
5. Spoon mixture into a greased pie dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.
6. Leave tart to cool slightly then cut into slices and serve.

Breakfast Beans

This is yet another recipe that is good for breakfast or a light lunch.  The beans can be stored in a refrigerator overnight and microwaved the next day.
It is meant to make enough for 4 slices of toast, but I have stretched the recipe to 6 slices.
Ingredients:

• 25ml margarine
• 1 Onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1x420g can baked beans in tomato sauce
• 50ml tomato sauce
• 15ml Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 250ml cheddar cheese grated
• 4 slices of toast, spread with margarine

Method:

1. Melt the margarine in a frying pan
2. Add the onions and green pepper and fry gently for 5 minutes
3. Add baked beans in their sauce, the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
4. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Mix in the cheese and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously until the cheese has melted
6. Place the toast on 4 heated individual plates
7. Spoon the bean and cheese mixture on top.
8. Serve warm.

Banana Honey Muffins

These muffins are delicious, but definitely not for anybody who is allergic to Banana’s (like Mark).

Depending on the size of your muffin pan this recipe makes about 10 muffins.

I love making these the night before and eating them for breakfast for the next 2-3 days.  They are also great as a teatime snack.

Ingredients:

• 175ml ( ⁷/₁₀ Cups) whole-wheat flour
• 175ml ( ⁷/₁₀ Cups) cake flour
• 150ml ( ³/₅ Cups) rolled oats
• 10ml ( 2 teaspoons) baking powder
• 5ml ( 1 teaspoon) cinnamon
• 2ml ( ²/₅ teaspoon ) salt
• 1 egg
• 175ml ( ⁷/₁₀ Cups) milk
• 2 medium-sized ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 60ml ( 4 tablespoons ) margarine
• 50ml ( 3 ¹/₃ tablespoons ) honey

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC
2. Combine whole-wheat flour, cake flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.  Stir to mix.
3. Beat egg in a bowl, stir in milk, banana, melted margarine and honey.
4. Pour all at once into flour mixture, stir just until evenly moist.  DO NOT over mix.
5. Spoon into greased muffin-pans, filling each two-thirds full.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
7. Loosen muffins around edges of cups with a knife.  Turn out onto a wire rack.
8. Serve hot and spread with Margarine.

Farmhouse Omelette

The farmhouse omelette recipe comes from a children’s cookbook I own.  It is filed under “breakfast” meals, but I feel it can also be made for a light lunch or supper.

This is another stable recipe that you can add ingredients to at will.  It is delicious to include chopped bacon and fried mushroom into this recipe.

The recipe serves 4, but I feel it is better suited to 2.

Serving suggestion:  Serve with warm buttered toast.

Ingredients:

• 25ml (25g – 2 tablespoons) Margarine
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• Half a green pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 4 eggs
• 25ml (2 tablespoons) cold water
• Salt and pepper
• 50ml (¹/₅ cup) grated cheese

Method:

1. Prepare all ingredients (chopping etc.)
2. Beat together eggs, water, salt and pepper
3. Heat margarine in a frying pan
4. Add onion and green pepper.  Fry, stirring all the time for 2 minutes.
5. Add tomato and fry for another 2 minutes
6. Pour egg mixture over vegetable mix in the pan.  Cook until egg sets around the sides of the pan
7. Switch on the top element of the oven. 
8. Sprinkle grated cheese over egg mixture, place pan under the top element and cook until omelette is golden brown and cheese has melted (Leave the door open and any plastic outside the oven.
9. Divide the omelette and serve.

Cheese Puffs

This is my #1 favourite recipe because there is so much a person can do with it.  It can be made for breakfast or a savoury plate for teatime.  A person can experiment with so many different fillings or even eat the Cheese Puff with nothing added at all.

Some of my favourite fillings include (cooked) minced beef, jam, syrup, honey and cream.

So here is the recipe to make 6 to 12 (depending on the size of your muffin pan).  All you need to do is double or triple the recipe to make as many as you want!

Ingredients:

• 250ml (1 cup) flour
• 10ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 250ml (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese
• 1 egg – fill up to 250ml (1 cup) with milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC and grease muffin pan
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper and salt
3. Add grated cheese
4. Mix in egg and milk milk mixture. 
5. Pour equal amounts into the muffin pans.
6. Bake for 10-15minutes, till golden brown and set
7. Serve warm.

Welcome!

Welcome to my dedicated recipe blog.  This is the blog where I will only be posting recipe’s with the story behind where I found the recipe, how it has been received by those who have eaten of it and serving idea’s or variations of the recipe.

I don’t intend to talk about anything here except food and drink.  If you want to have a look at my full blog, please visit:

http://fromacorntooak.blogspot.com

May each of you reading this blog find something delicious to add to your recipe book.